By Kathy Grill
Facebook is known for being open to the public. When you create a profile on Facebook, you are basically allowing anyone and everyone to learn all the personal information you have included on your profile and also allowing hackers to find their way into your computer files.
When you go to “allow” an application on Facebook, a window pops up warning you that “Allowing [ap] access will let it pull your profile information, photos, your friends’ info, and other content that it requires to work. When you click on “allow”, you are giving permission to Facebook and anyone else to go through your computer files and your friends’ computer files.
Fortunately, there are ways you can close the loopholes and minimize the chances of hackers getting into your computer.
First, of course, do not include personal information such as your address and phone number on your Facebook profile. To begin closing access to your computer, look at the top right hand corner of your FB page. You will see your name and then “setting”. When you hold your cursor over “settings”, a drop down menu appears. Click on “Privacy Settings”. On the next page, click on “applications”. On the “applications” page, click on “settings”. In the “share my name” section, unclick any box that anyone doesn’t need to see on your profile. Scroll down to “Facebook Connect Applications”. Click in the box to “don’t allow friends to view my memberships…” Click in the box for “Beacon Websites”. Scroll down and click on “save changes”.
Going back to the menu on the top right hand corner of your FB page, click again on “privacy settings”. Click on “Profile”. Go through the list and set each to “only friends”. Click on “save changes”. Click on “contact information” and again set all selections to ‘only friends’ and click on “save changes”.
Returning to the menu and clicking again on “privacy settings”, click on “search”. Set the “search visibility” to “only friends”. Go through the other selections, only clicking in the boxes that you feel are really necessary for anyone searching for you in Facebook to see. Click on “save changes”.
Returning once more to “privacy settings”, click on “news feed and wall”. In the “actions within Facebook” page, unclick any box that you feel keeps your profile private. Click on “save changes”. Click on “Facebook Ads”. Select “no one” at the “allow ads…” selection. Click on “save changes”. Scroll down and again select ” no one” in the “show my social actions in FB ads” selection and again click on “save changes”.
Finally, part of the fun of Facebook are the applications, games and quizzes. To take part in each, you have to “allow” them. To ensure you don’t leave yourself vulnerable to hackers through the applications, go to the “applications settings” page and “x” each item you do not use on a regular basis. You can always allow them again, but keeping this list to a minimum keeps your computer safer. For the ones you don’t want to delete, you can edit the settings so your computer is not visible to outsiders.
This may seem like a long list, but is well worth your time in keeping your computer and privacy safe.
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Excellent advice! Too many people are too permissive when it comes to their personal information and then complain when they get hacked or bombarded with spam. People need to learn to be as vigilant with their personal information in the cyberworld as they are in the real world. We are responsible for our own protection.